


Throwing Glass at Stone Houses

by OkieDokieSteveAndLoki



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Natasha, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Divorce, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Violence, M/M, Multi, Nat and Bucky are siblings, Odin's A+ Parenting, Omega Bucky Barnes, Omega Loki, Post Mpreg, Thor Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:43:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1450666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkieDokieSteveAndLoki/pseuds/OkieDokieSteveAndLoki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki is married to an abusive alpha. When it gets too much, he takes his children and goes to his ex-husband's.  Steve is an army veteran who is still working through the divorce from his first love, the fact that his first love and their children live with him doesn't help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Small Comforts

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is a little different than what I usually write, and I'm fairly sure that it's bad, but I'm still posting it, because... reasons, and a little variety is always good, right?

Loki was a bit tired of routine. There was little of his life that was spontaneous: wake up, make breakfast for the children and Svad, clean, pick up groceries, cook dinner, collect the children from their lessons, so on and so forth.

 

Then again, the routines of his life were his only small comfort.

 

Well, that and his four children.

 

Natasha had been his first, and he was overjoyed when he saw that she was a little alpha, a spitfire, just like her father. Her fiery red hair still mystifies him, as neither him nor her father had that hair color (however, it seems Steve’s birth mother was a red-head), but her penetrating green eyes were totally from him, she had so much Loki in her that it scared him sometimes. She was his pride, his only girl.

 

James came next, his precious little omega son, meek and shy when he was around anyone his own age, but lighting up like a firecracker when anyone mentioned his father and quick to defend anyone he loved. The little dark haired, blue eyed boy reminded him so much of his father that it hurt to look at him sometimes. James was his only omega child, and for that he kept him close at all times, feared for the day that he would find someone compatible or the day his heat would strike. Loki taught him how to fend for himself, and James told him everything.

 

Sleipnir and Fenrir were both alphas, twins by his husband, Svad, who doted on his boys nonstop. His hyperactive six year olds were often a handful, and living in a house full of testosterone was grating, especially when it came to his heats.

 

“MAMA! SEP STOLE MY BIKE AGAIN!” a shrill voice yelled from downstairs. 

 

It was enough to rouse him from the calm that he fell into, his only solace from the warzone that was his twins. He walked slowly down the stairs, only to see Fen with his hands around Sep’s throat, squeezing. 

 

The alarm that it sprung in him was nothing short of pure shock. He sprang immediately into action, prying them apart and giving them scolding looks.

 

“He started it…” Fenrir groused, arms folded indignantly.  
“He’s lying! It’s cause I’m smaller, he picks on me cause I’m smaller!” Sleipnir shouted, petulant.

 

“I don’t care who started it." Loki said, amicably, looking at both his sons. “You do not fight each other in that way, never put your hands on him like that again, do you understand me?”

 

“Yes mama…” they replied, in tandem.

 

After Loki issued what he called ‘punishment’ (which was no tv for a week), he went back to finishing up dinner, and waited for the rest of the family to get home.

 

“I’m home!” a boyish yell came from the front door.  
James waltzed in, happy as a lark, kissing his mother on the cheek and picking up one of the twins, spinning him around with an elated giggle.

 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Loki asked, smiling at his son’s joy.

 

James looked around at him, smile beaming as bright as the sun, and Loki could swear he saw Steve in that grin.

 

“Got a text from daddy today.” He said, bouncing.

 

Loki’s mood immediately fell.

 

“Really? What does it say?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. And failing miserably.

 

“Well, he’s okay, the base had an attack a week ago but everything is stable now. By the way he’s getting discharged in a few weeks and he wants me and Nat to spend the entire summer with him! Isn’t that great mom, the whole summer? I’ve never had that before.” James said, rapid fire and practically vibrating.

 

“Discharged, huh? I thought he’d grow old in the army, become a general and all that.” Loki mused, unimpressed. Steve had a tendency of telling his children these things and then changing his mind because ‘America needs him’. Loki wasn’t about to let Natasha and James get their hopes up.

 

“Nah, he says he’d miss us too much, you included.” James replied, still smiling.

 

“Go wash up for dinner.” Loki said to all three, “And someone call Natasha and tell her that she should be home by now, it’s almost six.”

 

“She’s upstairs in her room, mama. She’s been home for an hour.” Sep yelled.

 

Loki huffed at that. He walked up the stairs and to the end of the hall where Natasha’s room was, knocking lightly on the door.

 

“Busy!” the reply came, sounding strained, and Loki immediately knew that she wasn’t alone.

 

“Hello, Clint.” He said by the door. “I hope to God you’re using protection.”

 

“Hi, Mr. Larson!” Clint yelped, sounding awkward and ashamed.

 

“Dinner is in an hour.” Loki said, going back down the stairs.

 

Dinner was rather uneventful, Clint had to go home because his foster parents would kill him if he stayed past his curfew, James excused himself early to go Skype with his father and Natasha just took her plate to her room. So Loki was left with the young ones, as his husband didn’t usually get home until nine or so. 

 

It was around eleven pm when Svad came in, stinking of liquor and stumbling through the house like he had no idea where he was.

 

“You’re home awful late.” Loki said as the bedroom door was pried open and Svad shuffled in.

 

“Shut up,” Svad spat, toeing off his shoes and landing on the bed, “I got home, didn’t I? Isn’t that enough for you?” 

Loki huffed in frustration and disgust as the stench of whatever poison Svad was drinking wafted over him. He pulled away from his husband.

 

“You cannot continue to allow your children to keep seeing you like this, Svad, it’s unhealthy.” He said, a bit angry.

 

Svad growled at that, pulling Loki towards him and straddling him, grabbing his face roughly.

 

“I said shut up!” he rumbled, hands moving down to curl around the long, pale expanse of Loki’s throat.

 

He leaned down to lick a stripe on Loki’s cheek, rumbling contently when Loki’s breath hitched.

 

This was also a part of the routine, Svad got off on making Loki submit like a proper omega, and Loki would lay there and make him do whatever he wanted. It was fun at first, the feeling of being properly dominated, but then it got a bit too much, leaving Loki with excessive bruises or the fun roleplay in bed would bleed into real life, and Svad would slip and call him ‘bitch’ in front of their children and extended family.

 

Svad fucked him savagely, all the while keeping the grip on his neck. Loki didn’t even come, didn’t even get hard or slick through the whole thing, but as long as Svad was satisfied, he guessed that it was okay.  
That is his job, after all, to keep his alpha satisfied.

 

When Svad finally passed out long enough for Loki to get up, there was blood on the white silk sheets. He sighed, contemplating how he’d get it out this time, just another routine for him, really.


	2. Memories and Gilded Cages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki remembers how he and Steve became a thing, how it ended and how he and Svad came together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful response you guys!  
> Hope I do not disappoint y'all!

* * *

Loki remembered the first time he met Steven Rogers.

He was twelve years old and at his brother’s sweet sixteen party. He saw the skinny boy standing beside Thor and handing him a gift bag which contained a framed, hand drawn portrait of Thor, remembered easily the frightened expression on Steve’s face when Thor pulled him into a huge embrace, sweeping him off the ground.

His brother was always one for grandeur.

 

* * *

He didn’t talk to Steve for another two years though, until they met at Thor’s graduation. By this time Steve was taller, still a bit lanky, but not as lean as Loki was. He was handsome (always was), and the fact that Loki had been nursing a crush on him for two longsuffering years didn’t really help the fact.

Steve had been over their house several times, and Loki could tell that Odin didn’t really like him as company for Thor. Steve wasn’t from a rich background, now living in a foster home with two other children.

“So, what’s next?” Loki asked Steve, after the ceremony was over and Thor was surrounded by his more accepted friends.

“Uh, working at my foster dad’s hardware store, I guess.” Steve said, hand on his neck in that stupidly endearing way that he probably still did.

“Oh, Thor’s going to Columbia Law. Don’t know how the oaf managed to get in, but I’m sure it wasn’t of his own volition.” Loki said, without realizing.

“Big words for such a small guy.” Steve teased, smiling.

Loki thought it should be Steve who got to go to some fancy college. He had the brains for it, money was the only problem, something Loki had never experienced in then his fourteen years of life. From there, over the course of a year, Loki found his way to the hardware store almost every week, always with a different excuse:

“I need a nail to hang a picture”

 

“I need a can of paint. I’m redecorating.”

 

“I need Spackle. For… spackling purposes.”

 

“Wanna grab lunch by the diner? I officially have run out of stupid things to buy.”

 

He remembers Steve’s goofy smile when he asked, and the slow nod that followed. Things took flight from there, movie dates, first kisses. Before they realized, it had been a year of their innocent little romance, and they had fallen in love. Well, in as much love as two teenagers could be.

Loki was introduced to Steve’s foster family as the love of his life, and they were virtually inseparable. Loki was spending more time with Steve than he had with his own family. It was all perfect.

Well, perfect until…

 

* * *

Loki’s first heat started a few days after his sixteenth birthday, a little late for an omega, so he didn’t really prepare for it. He was out with Steve when it happened, they were in the back of Steve’s foster parents’ pickup, making out and midnight picnicking. Suddenly, Loki felt the kisses intensifying. He was starting to feel too hot, and stripped out of his hoodie.

 

Steve’s grip on his hips tightened, and Loki felt himself climbing onto Steve’s lap and ground down before he could stop himself. It was actually Steve that realized what was happening first, as Loki’s scent punched him in the face.

 

“Come on, we gotta stop.” He groaned, as Loki nipped at his neck, now rocking down on the bulge forming in Steve’s jeans without realizing what was happening.

 

Loki finally caught on when he felt himself slicking up. Suffice to say he was thoroughly embarrassed. He turned away from Steve, red faced and still horny as hell, but hyperaware of why that was. They remained silent for a while.

 

“Do you want me to take you home?” Steve said, practically holding his breath.

 

Loki smiled, simply pleased for the fact that his _mate_ had exercised control, had stopped before a frenzy began. The heat was an annoying itch beneath his skin, a suffocating feeling that seemed to dissipate the closer he moved towards his mate.

So he lunged forward and kissed Steve again, pressing closer to him until they were chest to chest, breathing each other’s air. He straddled him again, nipping at his neck and pawing at the buttons on his shirt. Steve’s hands gripped his hips and he let out a stray, pained growl.

 

“Not really.” Loki breathlessly said, grinding down and pulling Steve in for another, deeper kiss.

 

“Loki, you’re-“

 

“In heat, I know. I want to share it with you, if you don’t mind.” Loki replied, stripping off his own button down and tossing it aside.

So, Loki’s first time happened in the back of an old pickup.

It was surprisingly gentle. Steve took his time coaxing soft moans from Loki, taking great care in not hurting him in any way. Loki was sure he was in love, and that here, with the two of them boneless and sated, and Steve tied to him and wrapped around him and the both of them covered with a picnic blanket, nothing could ever go wrong.

 

That is, until the pregnancy test his father dragged him to the doctor’s for came back positive and Odin flipped out.

 

“How could you let that worthless piece of trash have his way with you?! On your first heat, no less! Have you no self-control?!” his father screamed at him in the doctor’s office.

 

All the while his mother sat with her head bowed, perfect picture of a submissive omega mate.

Loki felt fat tears streaming down his cheeks. He was ashamed, he felt extremely stupid for allowing himself to go that far with Steve and not considering protection. He was especially angry at his father for talking about Steve like he was the worst possible thing.

 

“We’re getting rid of it, you’re going to stop seeing that backwards hick and focus on school until I find you a proper mate. That’s final” Odin rumbled.

 

Loki sprang up from his seat at this, face flushed red in anger and frustration.

 

“NO!” he yelled.

 

“Excuse me?” Odin retorted, indignant.

Loki stalked straight up to him, head held high and staring directly into his eyes, not a speck of submission in his stance.

 

“Loki,” his mother warned, looking down when Odin gave her a sharp look.

 

“I will not throw my child away. It’s my body and my choice and I choose to keep this child and raise it. I will not be bullied by a man who instills fear into his wife and children because of their assignation. And Steve is ten times the person that you can ever hope to be!” Loki growled at his father, defiantly.

 

Odin raised a hand immediately, enraged at his son’s words. As he brought it down to strike Loki, the doctor held on to him.

Loki stormed out of the office with enraged screams following him.

* * *

 

 

Steve took the news relatively well until Loki slipped and mentioned that Odin tried to hit him. Then, the young Alpha went into a rage and almost went to give his omega’s father a good beating. Loki soothed him and instantly Steve’s hand drifted to his belly, fingers splaying protectively where their baby was housed.

 

“We’ll work this out, I promise.” He said, leaning in to give Loki a kiss.

 

Natasha was born May 15, at 4:36 am after thirteen hours of labour. Steve was there with Loki the whole time, whispering words of encouragement and strength into the young omega’s ear. They were happy to see that Natasha had come out a healthy baby girl, an Alpha, weighing seven and a half pounds and having the most piercing wail Loki had ever heard.

 

James was born three years later, May 30, after thirty hours of labour and a cesarean. The boy was a little more than two months premature, and was diagnosed with asthma just weeks after his birth. He was also extremely small, and Steve couldn’t help but blame himself as to why their omega son was faced with illness.

 

Their little family was happy, until Steve’s foster father decided to sell the hardware store and left Steve out of a job. Loki was working at the time, but a job as a waiter at a small diner that paid him minimum wage wasn’t nearly enough. They had to come up with something, bills were piling up and Natasha was about to start school soon.

So, Steve joined the army.

And the family fell apart because of it.

 

* * *

* Loki met Svadilfari Larson at his brother’s New Year’s party two years after his divorce was finalized. The man was electric, charismatic, and completely taken with Loki from the moment they met.

 

“You really are something worth looking at.” Svad had said, warm breath on Loki’s neck for a sharp moment.

 

The man had alpha rolling off of him in droves, and it fascinated Loki to no end. Svad had been so commanding, sending rushes through the omega that he had never felt with Steve. Loki was completely enthralled by him and within three years after his divorce with Steve was finalized, he and Svad were married.

 

The first time Svadilfari hit him was after their third anniversary dinner. Loki had asked his brother Thor to babysit for the night and planned a surprise dinner for his husband, and was more than pissed when Svad came home drunk. An argument erupted and Svad punched him in the face. He immediately apologized with flowers and dinner and a slow fuck that really did more for him than it did for Loki. His brother questioned the bruise on his cheek and lied, expertly, claiming it was from slipping and hitting the doorknob.

 

The hits continued coming, whenever Svad thought Loki was being insubordinate or whenever Svad was drunk. Svad had never touched Natasha or James, though, and for that Loki was grateful. He started sending his children off to their grandparents more often, though he was wary of how Odin spoke to James.

His father had seemed to warm up to him after he divorced Steve, telling Loki that he made the right choice with Svad, that Svad would give him everything he needs to make him happy.

 

My, how Odin was wrong.

 

Yes, now Loki had all the money he could want, a small mansion to live in, four beautiful children and a sturdy Alpha that his family approved of.

All of this was beautiful, it was all he ever wanted, but a gilded cage, no matter how spacious or convenient or pretty, is still a cage.

 

And Loki was trapped.


	3. Returns and Small Mercies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes home. Svad is possessive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so new chapter. Steve is here and we get to see a bit of how he interacts with his kids and Loki and how they respond to him. After this chapter I'm a little stuck, guys, I only had these three typed out, so bear with me is updates aren't regular, and leave feedback, please?

Sometimes Loki’s routines would be broken.

 

Whether by a child getting sick (nothing too serious, just a minor cold or the flu, occasionally James’ asthma acted up, but that was a rare occurrence as of late), or something like a heat.

Rarely, his routines would be disrupted by family visits. Svadilfari’s dragon of a mother would show up at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and demand to know why Loki is sitting at the table and not kneeling like a proper omega. Svad, coming from an ultra-traditional family, would then insist that it is simply because he does not want his children to belittle their mother, and ensure her that Loki knows his place. (It’s on occasions like these that Loki made sure James and Natasha spent the holidays with his parents, at least Frigga doted on James and Odin adored Natasha. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about this awful Alpha asking why his omega son isn’t on his knees in ‘polite company’.)

* * *

 

Another instance of when Loki’s routine was disrupted was anytime Steve was on leave. Such an instance would start today, on the first day of June. James was thrumming with excitement and Natasha was scowling.

They were all standing in the airport, waiting for Steve’s flight to arrive. Loki was antsy, as he normally was any time Steve was involved of mentioned. He guessed it was the usual response to someone you were once mated to, and he didn’t doubt that Steve had a similar sensation when he was around. He had seen Steve twitch away from him before. He’s not ashamed to say it broke his heart just a bit.

 

He was dragged out of his thoughts when he felt James rush from his side and take off running in the opposite direction. He turned to see Steve, arms outstretched, waiting to scoop his son up. He was just as Loki remembered him, a bit broader, perhaps, but definitely older.

His blond hair was close cropped and he was in military fatigues, no doubt for James’ benefit as the boy was obsessed with the army. Loki felt warm as he watched Steve pick James off his feet in a warm hug, face buried in the boy’s hair and a visible breath being taken. He tried to keep a straight face when Steve approached, posture crumbling when Steve pulled him in a hug.

“I missed you guys so much.” The Alpha breathed, and Loki almost melted in his arms before he caught himself.

Steve seemed to have caught himself too, as he let go of Loki almost immediately and turned to Natasha, who stretched her arm out for a stoic handshake, her face completely stoic.

 

“It’s nice to see you, dad.” She said, straight-faced and postured.

 

Steve laughed and pulled her into a hug, hoisting her off the ground much to her chagrin and James’ amusement. She huffed in embarrassment as Steve set her down, and both James and Steve burst out in laughter. They all went out for lunch that day and Steve told them about his experiences in the army. Loki watched as James soaked it all in and Natasha pretended not to care.

James talked about the writing classes he started taking at school and Natasha asked Steve if he wanted to meet Clint (which started a father/daughter, alpha-to-alpha discussion about safe sex and responsibility and ended with Natasha arranging a meet the family -- or ‘the dad’-- day for Clint). Steve smiled beatifically the whole time.

When the day was done Steve declared that he was staying with Thor until he found a place for himself. Both men had remained friends after the whole ordeal.

 

“Can I spend the weekend at Uncle Thor’s, please?” James asked, blue eyes pleading.

“Have you done all of your homework?”

“Yep.”

“Do you have your medication?”

“All packed in my bag,”

“Which you already have in the car, because you figured I’d say yes even before you asked.”

 

James smiled at that, a huge grin directed at his mother as he gave Loki a peck on the cheek.

“Because a boy’s best friend is his mother.” He whispered into Loki’s ear. 

It was an inside joke, they had watched Psycho a year before, on Loki’s birthday, and James was convinced that he could make a convincing Norman Bates, which Loki laughed at, because James could never hurt a fly.

 

“How about you, do you want to spend the weekend at Uncle Thor’s, too?” Loki asked Natasha.

 

She gave him an offended blink, wavy red hair bouncing with every movement.

 

“Guess not.” Steve stated, a bit disappointed. He leaned back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling.

 

“So, how are your other kids? And your husband, of course, how is he?” Steve asked again, that tense twitch that always presented itself when he talked about Svad as obvious as it always was.

 

“Everybody’s fine, Steve.” Loki said, tersely. “How’s… Afghanistan?”

 

“Still standing. I actually have something I want to talk to you about, in private.” Steve said, hand on his neck (a nervous tick indicative of when he was flustered or nervous or lying).

 

“Fine, you can ask.” Loki replied.

Steve ran a hand through his cropped blond hair, letting out a sigh as they walked away from the eavesdropping teens.

 

“I wanna take Tasha and Bucky to meet someone.” He said “Is that ok with you?”

 

Loki quirked a brow, folding his arms in front of him.

“That depends on who this special ‘someone’ is.” He said again.

“I met him in Afghanistan, we became really close and he wants to meet my kids. I told him yes.” Steve said as he scratched his head.

“You still haven’t told me a name, Steve.” Loki stated, getting mildly irritated.

 

“Tony Stark?” Steve said, shrugging. Loki quirked an interested brow. “The billionaire _Alpha_ Tony Stark? Didn’t know you swung that way, Steve.” Loki jibed.

 

Steve sputtered, going the tiniest bit red with embarrassment at Loki’s insinuation.

“It’s not… like that. He’s just a friend. I kind of saved his life and the next thing I know he’s offering me a job so I can be safer and near my kids. He’s actually a really nice guy behind the whole bravado thing.” He explained.

“Oh, well I guess that’s alright.” Loki considered. “Still doesn’t explain why you were so afraid to ask, though? Is there something else?”

 

“Well…” Steve started.

 

“Well, what?” Loki asked, mildly irritated.

 

“Stark sort of wants us to meet him in Manhattan. Next Week.” Steve responded. 

Well, that certainly couldn’t work. Sure, he’d sent them to New Mexico to visit his parents, and that was further away from him than Manhattan, but they’d never been away with Steve before, they’d always stayed with him at Thor’s or at his parents, but never alone.

 

“Please don’t say no. It’s only for a weekend at most. I mean, he really wants to meet them, and he said that you could come along if you wanted to.” Steve pled, cracking a small smile.

Loki gave a slight smirk at the earnestness in the man’s tone. Even at thirty-five, Steve still sounded like a hopeful teenager when he wanted to.

 

“Fine, I give. They can go next weekend, if you’re back by Sunday night.” He said with an exaggerated sigh.

 

Steve gave a smile that was completely radiant and childish and still stirred some sort of feeling within Loki that he wasn’t completely sure he hated. 

 

He nodded back, in agreement, and set off towards his – their – children.

 

* * *

He went home later that evening; without James or Natasha as she decided to spend the night at Steve’s parents’ home that was oh so conveniently right beside Clint Barton’s house. It was almost eight o’clock when Loki walked through the front door, only to be greeted by Svad sitting in the kitchen, nursing a tumbler or brandy.

 

“Where are your children?” he asked, voice low and non-threatening.

 

Loki went over to the refrigerator and took out the leftovers to be reheated. He set a portion in the microwave and took a seat next to Svad, lowering his gaze submissively.

“James is over at Thor’s and Natasha went to spend the weekend with her grandparents.” He said, making his voice as meek as possible.

Svad gave an acknowledging huff, running a coarse hand through Loki’s hair.

“And _Rogers_ , how is he?” Svad asked, sounding calculative and detached, the way you’d speak about something that had very little value to you, that you were merely observing.

 

“He seemed alright.” Loki answered, clipped.

Svad hummed at that, interested, hand still carding through Loki’s hair. Loki only startled a bit when he was suddenly pulled forward into a harsh, demanding kiss. He stilled completely, letting Svad do whatever he wanted, before pulling away slowly.

 

“Where are the boys?” Loki inquired, looking around as a tremor of worry flashed through him.

 

Svad pulled him forward even harder.

 

“I sent them to bed early.” He leered, lips attacking Loki’s neck in a fierce claim.

 

He always did this whenever Loki came back from being in close proximity with Steve. It was one of the main reasons why Svad and Steve only met once, and that one time was the most uncomfortable evening Loki had experienced at the time (what with Svad leaving hickeys on him in front of his _brother_ and ex-husband. Thor and Steve looked appropriately uncomfortable.)

 

“We have the rest of the night to ourselves, love.” Svad purred, pulling Loki completely off the chair and setting him on his knees, gripping his long hair.

“And I suggest we get started.”

 

Loki steeled himself, mentally preparing for whatever Svad had in store for the evening, when a pair of tiny feet came padding into the room.

 

“Papa, I’m not tired,” Fenrir groaned dramatically, freezing when he saw the scene in front of him.

 

Even at six years old the twins knew what it looked like when a traditional omega was submitting to their mate, especially when Svad made sure of it. And even at six they knew that when their mother was submitting they shouldn’t interrupt. However Fenrir, being the precocious child that he was, seemed to have sensed that something was off, and simply moved to curl beside Loki on the floor, which was a position his father had implicitly told them was not an Alpha’s place.

 

“Mama, will you read us a story or something?” he mumbled innocently, looking up at his father for permission.

 

Svad huffed at his son, before waving them both off, promising Loki they would continue later on.

Loki left up the stairs to the Fenrir’s room, where Sleipnir already sat waiting with a storybook. He felt Fen grab onto his shirt and turned to look at the boy.

 

“You okay?” Fen asked, eyes full of worry. Loki gave a sad smile, nodding and ruffling the boy's brown hair before sitting down to read to the boys.

* * *

 

By the time he got to the bedroom, Svad was fast asleep, naked and apparently waiting for him. Loki gave a grateful smile and let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding, before got to sleep beside Sleipnir in his room.

 

Small mercies, he supposed.


	4. Quiet Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor welcomes Steve and Bucky. Bucky has something to tell his dad.

“Uncle Thor!” Bucky yelled as he sprinted into the burly Alpha’s arms.

Thor hoisted him up as if he weighed nothing, holding the boy as close to him as possible. Bucky nuzzled into his neck and breathed in the calming scent of family.

“I missed you, sunshine.” Thor beamed, before setting his nephew down.

 

“Guess no one missed me.” Steve quipped from the door, arms folded in mock petulance.

Thor grabbed him, playfully rough, and dragged him into a one armed bear hug, laughing as Steve protested weakly. Bucky laughed at both adults.

“Glad to see you’re still in one piece, you little shit.” Thor stated, slapping Steve on the shoulder as he let him go.

“Language! We have a kid here!” Steve jibed, and Bucky laughed loudly as they went into the house.

Thor lived in a very prominent part of town, thirty minutes away from where Loki lived, but he was hardly ever home. He had a lot of overseas business to attend to, supervising all the major contracts for his father’s company. James adored the time he got to spend with his uncle, cherished every second they had together. He and Natasha were very close to Thor.

“So, what do you guys say we have a marathon movie night? James can choose!” Thor said, holding out two blu ray sets: Lord of the Rings and James Bond.

“Nah, daddy should choose, since it’s his first night back and all.” Bucky said, pointing at the Lord of the Rings set at the same time.

“Tolkien it is, then” Steve laughed, grabbing the remote from Thor and ruffling Bucky’s hair as Thor let out an overly dramatized ‘noooo’.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Can I talk to you about something?” Bucky asked, when two of the three movies were over and the third was beginning.

Thor was snoring loudly on the opposite couch and Steve was curled around his son and dosing off.

“What is it?” he asked, groggily, sitting up and turning towards Bucky.

Bucky looked down at the carpet, seemingly distracted by its plainness and obviously regretting starting this conversation. Head bowed, he mumbled something that Steve didn’t quite hear.

“You’re gonna have to go a little bit louder than that, bud.” He said, stretching a bit and focusing on his son.

The boy looked up at him, face flushed in equal parts annoyance and embarrassment.

“There is this one guy…” he said, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Steve shifted closer, intrigued, and Bucky slumped in the couch and folded his arms.

“His name’s Gabe, and he’s in my French class. He’s really sweet with me, there’s just one thing…”

“What is it?” Steve asked calmly.

“Gabe is… an omega too. People at school tease him because he dates omegas and tell him that it’s wrong, but I… I…” Bucky stuttered.

Steve put a hand on his son’s shoulders, staring at him as evenly as he could.

“You don’t think it’s wrong.” He said.

Bucky gave a nod.

“I mean, it’s not hurting anyone, right? And if you’re happy with someone I don’t see why that should be everyone else’s business.” He said, “They’re just being bullies by teasing Gabe… and me.”

 

“Yeah, they are.” Steve replied as he regarded his son.

This was obviously a topic that Bucky was passionate about, and it was clear that he cared for this Gabe kid. He pulled his son into a strong, one armed hug, feeling so proud and so glad that Bucky trusted him enough to practically come out to him.

“Do you ever feel the way you do around Gabe when you’re around an Alpha or a Beta?” he asked in a serious tone.

“I had a crush on Johnny Storm in sixth grade, he was an Alpha, but he turned out to be such a jerk.” Bucky chimed, smiling up at his father.

“So you’re not mad? You don’t think I’m a monster?”

“Hell no! Nothing is wrong with you” Steve exclaimed “You’re still my baby boy and I’m happy that you know what you’re about, and I’d like to meet this Gabe kid someday.”

Bucky chimed a laugh, and it was one of the most beautiful things Steve had seen in a while. It was then that he knew they’d be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT DEAD!!!  
> Anyway, still having writer's block. Here's something short and sweet before we meet Svad again.


	5. Black and Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha has a moment with her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still alive, y'all.  
> It's been a whirlwind of tears, anxiety attacks and barely passing assignments which could cause me to lose my scholarship and get kicked out of school only to become a homeless person. I have something short for you guys, so I hope you at least don't hate it.

Loki stared in the mirror at the latest mark that Svad had made on his face. The purpling bruise covered his entire left cheek, his eye was swollen shut and he was pretty sure that it would stay that way for his parents' visit tonight. 

Not that Odin or Frigga ever seemed to comment on the marks Svad left on him.

His eyes were shut for a while when he suddenly felt something cold being pressed over his face. He jerked and hissed at the feeling and opened his eye to see that it was Natasha with a bag of peas. She said nothing as she sat beside him and held the bag up to his eye, her face was as cold and unyeilding as the bag resting on his face.

“How is Phil?” he asked her, trying desperately to get rid of some of the tension in the room.

“Gramps is fine. Started a tomato farm on the roof, asked if you wanted from the first batch. I told him we'd think about it.” she replied.

Loki hummed in response. He took the bag of peas from her and held it to his face himself, sighing in the silence that now permeated the room.

“What did you do? What set him off?” Natasha asked, stoically, as she sat in front of him.

Loki shrugged indifferently. He didn't want his child to know that her stepfather beat him because he went and invited his parents over without getting permission. 

“Next time he hits you, I'm going to stab him in the fucking eye, I swear.”she growled, looking equal parts angry and concerned. “Why do you sit and let him do this to you?”

“You wouldn't understand, sweetheart. It's... a lot more complicated than it seems.” he muttered, not looking up at her.

Natasha examined the bruise on her mother’s cheek, cupping a hand on the other side of Loki’s face and frowning. The silence surrounding them seemed deafening.

“Did dad ever…?” she asked, trailing off as if the words caught in her throat.

Loki shook his head feverishly, tears rapidly forming as he looked at the intensity and sudden fear in his Alpha daughter's eyes and saw nothing but Steve being reflected back at him. He could see that she was terrified of ever becoming like Svad, that she wanted to know if it was the same with Steve, if all Alphas eventually-

“Never.” he stated vehemently. “Steve never laid a hand on me. He was always patient, and kind, he never asked me to do anything I didn’t want to and he never forced me in any way. I loved him and he loved me” He said, a sad, wistful smile on his face.

“Then why did you two get a divorce?” Natasha asked, wiping away Loki’s tears with the pad of his thumb.

“Because sometimes love just isn’t enough.” Loki replied, dejected.

Natasha looked more confused than ever at that. She stood and walked to the kitchen, coming back with another, more solid bag of something frozen and gently pressing it to Loki’s face. Loki winced at the sensation and tried to push it away, but Natasha insisted that it stayed pressed to his face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked, moving in closer.

Loki stilled, not knowing exactly what to say. He felt as if he was grasping at straws, gasping for his life. His glass walls were collapsing around him and soon he would have nothing to run to, nothing to hide behind. It scared him so much that he had to catch his breath before answering.

“It means that I was scared. I was afraid of what would’ve happened to us if he’d died and left us. I was afraid that you and your brother would be forced to grow up without a father, or that the war would change him for the worse, or that he’d forget us entirely and move on… I was terrified of being alone and convinced that I would be so I did something stupid.” He rambled, looking to the floor with a bitter smile on his face.

“You still love him, don’t you?” Natasha said, so soft that Loki hardly heard it.

Loki nodded.

“I don't think I even know how to stop." he answered hesitantly.

It was the first time he'd admitted to himself that he still hadn't gotten over Steve. Sure, he knew deep inside that he hadn't, but knowing something and acknowledging that you knew it were two different kettle of fish. Somehow saying it made his situation exponentially worse.

"I'd never hurt Clint." she said. "I'd never allow myself to be like that bastard. I'd sooner leave Clint alone if I felt like I needed to beat the shit out of him to feel like an Alpha."

Loki looked up at her with a sort of almost smile.

"That's my girl." he smiled, then groaned as his face began to sting from the bruise.

* * *

 

When Odin and Frigga arrived, Frigga took a small look on the black and blue that dominated Loki's face and her face fell instantly. She kept her head down through the whole meal and barely said anything to anyone. Odin, on the other hand, went into a lecture about the importance of Omegas obeying their Alphas, staring at his son in thinly veiled contempt and moving on to speak to Svad about business.

Loki knew then, more than ever, that his father would never respect him, that Svad would never respect him.

That if he stayed, he'd be black and blue for the rest of his life, that his children would think that it's okay to prey on those considered beneath you. 

He realized, then and there, with Odin and Svad being dominant over their respective Omegas, and Natasha being disgusted and excusing herself from the table, that he had to get away from Svad. He had to leave.

But where would he go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get some more plot next time... hopefully. And hopefully that's sooner than the time it took me to upload this.


	6. Tides Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Svad gets angry, Loki pays the price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm okay, and I have another chapter for you guys! Hope it's not too shitty, I have no idea what I'm doing anymore, but I've decided not to give up on this fic.

Svad took him to a cocktail party at some coworker's house on a Friday. The bruise on his face hadn't faded yet, and he had to ask Natasha to put concealer over it to hide the greenish-yellow patch of skin. Svad bought him a tight black shirt and pants to wear, told him to straighten his hair and pull it back in a ponytail, put gloss on his lips and made him look all dolled up and submissive for his coworkers to ogle at him like he was merely a piece of meat. He took Loki to the stupid party and left him in the middle of the room while he went off with some blonde Beta girl to have drinks at the bar.

 

“No offense, but your husband's an asshole.” someone said from behind him. He turned to see a small, red haired woman standing behind him.

 

She was heavily pregnant and looked severely irritated.

“I'm Sigyn, my husband works in the marketing division of the company.” she said, stretching a hand out for a handshake.

“Loki, and I guess you already know my husband.” he replied.

She huffed again, then pulled Loki to sit on the balcony with her, away from everyone else. She opened her purse and pulled out a tube of something.

“You didn't blend your concealer in well enough, it's a bit obvious.” she said.

Loki's eyes widened in shock at her statement, his hand went to the bruise on the side of his face, and he moved it away when she started fixing his concealer.

 

“Thanks,” he said softly, standing up to go back inside.

If Svad couldn't find him he'd be angry, and he was already drinking.

“I meant it when I said that Larson's an asshole. My husband, he's an Omega. We had to inseminate to start a family. Larson's been coming on to him for months, even going as far as to corner him in a parking lot, or offering him a promotion if they slept together.” She said again.

 

“I know how he is, and I don't know what you thought bringing this to my attention would do, Sigyn. I can't make Svad back off your husband. I can't make Svad do anything.” Loki replied, softly.

“I'm not asking you to tell him to back off. My husband can defend himself. I'm just letting you know that this...” she gestured to the bruise on his face, “Hiding what he did to you won't help solve anything, it probably only makes everything worse. Believe me, I know from past experience.”

Loki nodded, not sure how to reply to her, and turned to go back inside to the party.

Sigyn held on to his hand before he could leave.

“ _If_ you ever need a listening ear, call me okay?” she said, slipping her card into his hand.

He looked at it to see that she was a travel agent. He smiled at her, nodded and went back inside. 

 

* * *

He didn't expect Svad to grab him and haul him to the kitchen the next Monday, after coming home from what seemed to be a particularly bad meeting.

 

“Apparently, you made quite an impression on my boss' sister on Friday.” he said, calmly, even as his grip on Loki's arm tightened.

“What are talking about?” Loki gritted out, as Svad squeezed his bicep.

“You fucking know what I'm talking about. What did you tell that bitch about me, huh?!” Svad yelled.

He pushed Loki into the refrigerator, and Loki groaned at the sharp pain in his back.

“I didn't tell anyone anything about you.” he whispered, lowering his head.

 

“That bitch Theoric came in with my boss, yelling at me about a bruise his wife saw on you.” Svadilfari growled. “Don't you dare lie to me, Loki. I know you better than that.”

Loki looked down at his bare feet, trying to make himself as small and as submissive as possible.

 

“I'm on suspension because of you.” Svad said, pushing a hand against Loki's throat. "I could've lost my fucking job because you can't keep your mouth shut!”

 

“Svad, you're hurting me!” Loki yelled, panicked as he felt his airway being closed off by Svad's hand. “Stop.”

 

“All you fucking care about is yourself! You don't even think of what would happen if you went and ran your whore mouth, did you? Now look what you did!”

 

Loki felt as if he was about to black out as it became more and more difficult to take a breath. He pushed and kicked at Svad, and got his head slammed against the chrome surface of the fridge for his troubles. He could feel the tears leaking out of his eyes, and begged Svad to let go, to stop.

“LET HIM GO!” he heard Bucky yell from across the room.

He tried to tell his son to leave, but he could breathe any more. Everything started to feel hazy, like he was fading fast.

Then suddenly, the feeling faded, Svad's hand loosened from around his neck . He slipped to the floor, feeling too lightheaded to open his eyes. And then everything went black.

 

* * *

Steve woke up to the obnoxious ringtone that was personalized for his kids. He answered the phone groggily, and jolted out of the bed when he heard his daughter's panicked voice.

“Dad. I need help.” Natasha stated, sounding teary and frantic.

 

“What's wrong?!” he asked, already up and ready to go towards her. “Are you hurt? Where are you?”

 

“I'm at the hospital, in the emergency ward.” She said, words barely audible over her gasping.

 

“Oh, god. What happened?” Steve inquired.

 

“I need you here, please, I can't - - I can't do this.”

 

Steve swore, fear seeping into his thoughts. He wondered what could possibly have his usually stoic girl so distraught. Picking up a jacket and the keys to one of Thor's cars, he went on his way to the hospital.

“Don't worry, I'm on my way.”

* * *

Natasha usually prided herself on her uncanny ability to remain calm, but the sight of her brother shaking in fear and her mother laying unconscious in a hospital bed made her want to scream at the sky and rip Svad's throat out.

She came home late that day, after going to watch a movie with a couple of friends. She just wanted to get some of her things and go to spend the week with her father, like she was told.

Then, she saw her brothers clutching on to their mother's head while Svad laid on the other side of the room.

 

_“What the hell?” she asked, running into the room, instantly going to check Loki's pulse._

 

_He was still breathing, thank god, though he was bloodied and bruised._

 

_“I already called 911.” Fenrir told her, sniffling, “We were coming downstairs for something to eat when we saw momma on the floor and Jamie over him.”_

 

Now, sitting in the hospital and staring at her brother's horrified face, she wished that she'd never left that night. Bucky couldn't even talk, wouldn't look at anyone. The police came to question them on what happened, and were told to leave until the kids had time to settle. She glared at them for even coming into the hospital room. She pulled her brother closer, and took out her phone, dialling.

 

“Dad. I need help.”


	7. Wounded Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Svad has a nasty plan up his sleeve

 

Everything was so messed up, Steve was sitting at the Police Station with his youngest, while Bucky was being questioned about his injured stepfather.

 

The detective that was doing the questioning was Nick Fury, an old war buddy of Steve’s foster dad, Phil.  He looked grim as Bucky recalled what he saw the night that Loki and Svad both ended up in the hospital.

 

“I had to save my mother.” Bucky said, meekly. “Svad was choking him, he was turning blue.”

                                              

“I don’t fault you for that, son.” Fury replied, “It’s just my job to get all the information on this case that we can. Right now the Larsons seem to be pressing charges against you and your mom, which is some next level bullshit, if you ask me.”

 

“Wait, charges? After that bastard almost _killed_ Loki?” Steve asked, incredulously.

 

“Your son hit his stepfather over the head with a cast iron skillet. He was supposedly concussed for hours, unconscious on a hospital bed. He had to get stitches in his head.”

“My son was defending his mother after that asshole tried to choke him to death!” Steve yelled, enraged.

 

Bucky put a hand on his father’s shoulder, in an effort to calm him down.  Steve slumped back in his seat.

 

“I know that, Steve. But these are very powerful people with very expensive lawyers and friends in high places. Your son is a pubescent omega, they’re gonna say he was ‘hysterical’ and ‘emotionally unstable’, and they’re going to try and drag him – and your family- through the mud.” Fury said again.

 

 “It’s my job to prevent him from doing that, and as much as I hate this bastard, I have to gather information as objectively as possible.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Loki sat in the hospital, bitterly counting down the days that he had left for recovery. He had to be using a breathing tube, there were apparently fractured bones in his neck caused by Svad squeezing too hard. Natasha sat across from him, reading some young adult novel series that was her current fascination.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, putting the book away for a while.

 

He gave her a placid smile, which was difficult as his mouth was covered, as he leaned back on the pillows piled high behind him. He couldn’t talk as yet without severe discomfort, so she gave him a note pad to write things down on, so that they could communicate.  He gave her a thumbs up instead.

 

“You know we’re not gonna be able to go back to that house, right? Not after what he did to you.” She said, voice as hard as stone.

 

He looked down, not able to say what he wanted, and not willing to write it down on paper either.

 

“I know you think that you have some obligation to Svad after being married to him for so many years, but he beat you, that’s not something that an Alpha who cares about his omega would do, and you know that I’m telling the truth, mom.”

 

Loki nodded, scratching down a few words on the pad.

 

_I know, and I don’t want to go back, but where can we go? I have no money, no job, my parents haven’t even come to visit. I have no one else but Svad._

“That’s a lie.” Natasha replied. “You have dad, and uncle Thor. We can go stay with them, anything but back in that house.”

 

_Your brothers. Svad will want to take them away from me._

“Like hell he will, I’ll make sure he never gets to put a hand on them ever again. I just want you to be safe, and happy.” She said again.

 

There was a knock on the door at that, and a man in a grey suit walked in.  Natasha scowled when she saw that he had a legal sized, manila envelope in his hand.

 

“We don’t want you here, please leave.” Natasha growled, standing up and facing the man.

 

Loki sat up as the man walked closer to him. He regarded them coolly, in the manner that someone of power would look at something that was in their way.

 

“No need for all of that, kid. I’m just here to bring you these.” He said, handing the papers to Loki.

 

They were divorce papers, and a restraining order against Loki, Bucky and Natasha. There were also custody papers for the twins. Loki saw red, and as much as it hurt to talk, he felt that he had to say something.

 

“He will not take my boys.” he said, seething. His voice roughened from disuse.

 

“I think it’s only fair, given the fact that one of your bastard children almost killed him. From what I hear, you tried to kill him too, and you got what you deserve.” The man said, scowling.

“He says it’s better if you sign those now, save yourself the embarrassment of having to appear in court.”

 

“Get out.” Natasha growled, standing up and directing the man to the door.

 

The man straightened his tie and exited the room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When it was time for Loki to leave the hospital, Thor gladly took them all in, and kept a close eye on Loki, even going as far as to take the week off from work.

 

“You didn’t have to do all of that, you know. I don't need your sympathy.” Loki said, as he sat watching some trainwreck of an action movie.

 

Thor sat beside him on the couch, eating a sandwich that he had made earlier.  Bucky and Natasha were at the park with Steve. Thor was working on a way to get Loki’s children back to him permanently, and too get Svad at least charged for some of the things he did.

 

“You’re my baby brother.” Thor stated, pouring over legal documents. “I’m going to help you in any way I can. I only wish I had realized sooner. I would have done anything within my power to get you out of there.”

 

Loki gave him a grateful smile at that, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Thor took the initiative and pulled him into a hug, the first hug they’d had in so many years.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. Comment or w/e. I'll be here wallowing in self pity and coffee cake. Enjoy!


	8. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has a hard time sleeping after what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a snippet of a snippet of a chapter. Mid-semesters have not been ind to me and I feel as if I'm shutting down. I'll have something else - something MORE - up in a few days, but I just wanted you guys to know that I am still here!

Sleep rarely came as of late. Loki tended to pace around the house at the early hours of the morning, or go downstairs and watch whatever late night programs ran. He became a big fan of the mindless telanovelas that were on at 3 am.

This time though, when he went down the stairs the television was already on. He looked to see that it was Steve, watching some animated series. Steve looked around at him, a tired smile on his face.

“Cant sleep?” he whispered, groggily.

Loki simply gave a nod and went to sit beside him on the couch, watching the very colorful program intently. The air between them grew thick with tension. Loki didn’t even notice when Steve left the couch and came back with a cup of tea.

“Chamomile, to help you sleep.” He said, amicably smiling.

Loki took the cup. It didn’t help to ease any of the tension between the both of them though, in fact, the slight contact seemed to make it worse.

“You know none of what happened was your fault, right?” Steve said, after a deep breath that sounded a bit pained.

Loki looked over at him, not entirely surprised. Steve was always one to take on problems head on.

“Sure,” he replied. “I didn’t almost kill myself; I just sat there, in that house, for eight years, and let myself be abused.”

Steve’s frown deepened, and he moved closer to Loki, putting a hand on his shoulder. Loki shrugged it off, putting the cup of tea down on the coffee table and slumping back in the couch.

“If me … living here is too uncomfortable for you, I can find an apartment. It’s no trouble.” Steve said again, and wasn’t he talkative tonight?

Loki let out a deep sigh. He looked over at Steve.

“It wouldn’t be fair for you to leave just because we have a history, Thor wants you here. We’ll just have to grow up and learn to live with each other.” He said, patting Steve on the cheek.

Steve chuckled.

“I forgot that you used to do that.” He said.

“What?” Loki inquired.

“Pat me on the cheek like a kid.” Steve replied, picking up the remote and changing the channel. “Especially when I said something wrong.”

 

Loki smirked and sipped at his tea. It was made just right.

\----

Natasha had always had perfect attendance at school. The last few days were a slash through that record, but she made up her mind that she would go in today, and go in early.

When she went down the stairs at 5 am, she saw her parents asleep on the couch together.

Well, not _together_ together, but they were both asleep. Her dad’s legs were hanging off the arm and her mom was curled in a ball at the opposite end. They were adorable.

“Morning!” she yelled, startling both of them awake. Loki glared at her as she walked to the kitchen. Steve gave her a small smile as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Ugh, did I really fall asleep here?" Loki asked.

"Guess we both did." Steve replied. "C'mon, I'm making everybody breakfast. Burnt pancakes and bacon for all."

Both Loki and Natasha groaned. Steve was possibly the worst pancake maker on the planet, but his eggs were superb.

With her dad flipping pancakes at the stove, and her mom sipping tea and smiling at him, the day suddenly seemed a bit brighter to her.


	9. Not Broken, Just Bent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki comforts his son while Frigga makes a decision.

 

 

Frigga was a woman of great respect in the more renowned social circles, the members of their family were somewhat celebrities in the area. She prided herself in maintaning that status, keeping her family in that respected social circle for as long as possible, and being upstanding members of the society.

 

So when Loki ended up in the hospital, it was rather embarrassing for her and Odin. The neighbours began asking questions, and Odin threw a fit, refusing to even go and visit his child in the hospital.

 

“He is a disgrace! What kind of Omega would do this? Turn their back on an Alpha like that!” he shouted, fuming.

 

Frigga sat in her boudoir, brushing her hair as she did every night. She ignored most of what her husband had to say, he was prone to slurs and insults when it came to their youngest.

 Even though most times Loki did nothing to deserve any of it.

 

She had desperately wanted to visit her son in the hospital, but she wouldn’t dare disobey her alpha to do so. Yes, she agreed that Loki was not the ideal omega, but Svadilfari was prone to violent outbursts, leaving Loki with more bruises than she could keep up with. 

 

Odin would never hit her, but then again, he didn’t really object to his son being beaten by an Alpha either. It was improper, and only the basest of Alphas beat their mates like that.

And now their grandchildren were caught in the middle of the mess. Poor James had just been defending Loki, Frigga was sure of it. Now, James was in trouble because no one thought to get them away from Svadilfari before it was too late.

 

It made her angry, and she decided that she was going to visit her son today, Odin be damned.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 As soon as Steve and Thor left for work, Loki began worrying about his omega son. The boy had been holed up i the room gifted to him and Natasha for five days, refusing to even come to dinner or go to school. Various teachers and friends had called, worried about James, and Loki wouldn't hesitate to say that he was worried too.

 

“Darling, are you up to going to school today?” Loki asked as he pushed James’ door open.

 

The boy was still in bed, his head covered by a blanket and his feet sticking out. Loki shut the door and went to sit beside his son.

 

James pulled the blanket away, revealing his messy, dark hair and tired, blue eyes. He gave his mother a slight, lopsided smile that quickly turned into a grimace.

“I don’t really want to talk right now.” He murmured, covering his head once more.

 

“That’s okay, I just came to deliver your breakfast. Just … let me know when you’re ready to go back, and you _do_ have to go back.” Loki said, setting the plate that he had with him on the table.

 

“I know it’s hard, and I know you’re feeling sad, and angry, but that doesn’t mean life will pause for you. You can scream at the world as much as you want, hell, I’ll even scream with you.”

 

James barely shifted under the blanket, sniffling a bit before revealing his head again.

“It’s not fair.” he said, sitting upright. “Svad doesn’t even get called in for nearly killing you, you almost died, and he’s sitting in his house like nothing happened.”

 

“I know, sweetheart, but life isn’t fair most times, especially when people see you as less powerful than they are. That doesn’t mean that we stop living, now does it? We keep pushing through…” Loki said, pulling James closer, ruffling his hair.

 

“We go to school, and we eat our breakfast that our fathers spent so long slaving over a hot stove to prepare even though he had to leave for work.”

 

The boy gave a small smile, cuddling closer to his mother. Loki gave him a kiss on the forehead, breathing in his scent as they sat there in the silence.

 

“You saved me, son. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.” He whispered, clutching his boy closer and burying his nose into dark, unruly hair.

 

“And Svad and his lawyers can go fuck themselves, for all I care.”

 

"Mom!" James protested, surprised to hear such language from his mother.

"I'm an adult, I'm allowed to curse every once in a while." Loki replied, nonplussed, 

"Now eat up, we're marathoning classic horror movies today. I think it's high time I introduce you to Nosferatu."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The black Mercedes waiting outside Midtown High was quite a surprise to Natasha, as her ever pristine grandmother stood by the car in a blue summer dress and a grey cardigan, wedding ring shining like the expensive piece of jewelry that it was .

 

“Hello, darling.” Frigga greeted as Natasha walked up to her. "How big you've gotten!"

 

“What are you doing here, Grams?” she asked, confused, “Does Grandpa know you’re here?”

 

Frigga shrugged, painting a picture of nonchalance. She ran a hand through her blonde hair and then gave a comforting smile.

 

“Odin be damned! I left him a note, and his dinner’s already cooked, so he should be fine.” She replied.

 

Natasha raised a brow at that, impressed at her grandmother for her statement. She let herself be pulled into a strong hug, the scent of family surrounding her.

 

“Now come on, I haven’t seen Jamie in ages! I went to his school but I was told that he hasn't been in for days, I can only imagine...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A new chapter! I' sorry that this took so long, guys, but I've been fighting off depression for the past few months and it's seemingly only gotten worse thanks to mid-terms and school in general. Hopefully I'll get the new chapter up soon, and don't worry, the twins are quite fine and not anywhere near Svad! And the next chapter isn't filler, I assure you!


	10. All is (almost, not quite) Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odin realizes that he is an ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I felt like writing! Two chapters in less than seven days, yay!
> 
> Also, apologies again but this one is still filler (depends on how you look). I'm kind of scared to bring Svad back into the picture because I hate him and want him to die.
> 
> Anyway, read, comment, kudo! And thanks so much for the encouraging words and also for putting up with my slow updates and for reading, I love you all.

 

 

Loki had gone upstairs to take a shower, and was more than a little surprised to come back down and see his mother sitting on the couch watching some cartoon or the other with his son.

 

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Loki asked as Frigga sat on the couch.

She looked so comfortable there, curled up with her eldest grandson and a cup of Earl Grey tea that Natasha had brewed for her. It had been a long time since Loki had seen his mother look so content.

 

“I should have come as soon as I heard about what happened.” She said, “That man is a monster and I hope he rots in hell for what he did to you.”

 

James let out a scoff at that, turning to bury his head in his grandmother’s chest. She stroked his hair softly, nuzzling into it.

 

“IF I know Svad, and I do, he’ll find some way to weasel out of it and get out scott free, as usual. Let’s just hope it doesn’t involve Bucky going to jail.” Natasha replied, sitting beside her mother on the smaller  couch.

 

Frigga simply nodded at that, knowing all too well the power that Alphas still help in today’s world of self proclaimed equality. She knew even her own husband, Loki’s own father, would pick up for Svadilfari if push came to shove, that the judge in the case would most likely be Alpha. They’d all view Loki as a bitter, manipulative Omega, who coerced his young son to do his dirty work, probably for insurance money or some other ridiculous cause.

 

And poor Jamie was being dragged through the mud, and at such a young age. She could see that it was weighing heavily on the boy: he looked thinner, his face was more grim, and all of his words now had a bite to them that was too severe for her sweet young grandson.

 

“Why don’t I take you all out to dinner later, when Thor gets home. It has been so long since we had a meal without tension.” She said, smiling.

 

“Without Alphas, you mean.” Natasha quipped. “Or would you invite our chauvinistic grandfather to this peaceful meal?”

 

“How about we stay in and I make us something, instead?” Loki added, before Frigga could answer her.

 

* * *

 

They all agreed that a home cooked meal would be better, and all helped out in the preparations, then sat and talked until there was a knock at the door.

 

Natasha went to see who it was. She came back to the kitchen with her fuming grandfather in tow.

 

“Did you honestly leave me while I was in the middle of a conversation with you, Frigga?” Odin said, voice a bit too loud.

 

“Father…” Loki began, and was silenced with a growl that made Natasha growl back, furiously.

 

“Listen, you old fart.” The young Alpha said, arms folded.

 

“I know you don’t very much respect the opinions of omegas, and that you think you’re too set in your ways to change, but NO ONE growls at my mother, not even you. And please talk to my grandma with the respect that a woman with her level of tolerance deserves.”

 

Odin was taken aback by the statements, looking at his granddaughter as if he had seen her for the first time. He looked over at Bucky, who was now sitting on the kitchen counter, head bowed submissively at the alpha aggression in the room.

 

He walked over to his grandson.

 

“Are you alright, boy?” he asked, softly.

 

Bucky nodded, not sure if he should look up or stay like he was, his granddad could be very intimidating.

 

“M’fine.” He said, startled when he was pulled into a hug by his usually stoic grandfather.

 

“That man will pay for what he’s trying to do to you. No one hurts my family.” Odin said.

 

He looked around at his youngest child, standing there meekly, and Bucky could feel the tension in the room, it was almost palpable.

 

“I was a fool, I came over here because of a note that Frigga left for me, it made me think about where my loyalties should lie.” Odin said, as he let go of Bucky and went over to Loki.

 

“I _am_ stuck in my ways, and I do not ask that you forget all that has happened between us in the past, only that I may have a future with this family, with my son.”

 

Bucky watched as Loki’s eyes filled with tears, and remembered all that his mother had told him about the relationship he had with Odin. He could see those bitter emotions threatening to come out, to spew some hateful words and push Odin away out of mere spite.

 

“It’ll take a while to forgive, but we can start with tonight’s dinner.” Loki finally said, giving Odin a small smile.

 

Bucky knew that at that moment a load, however small, had been lifted from his mother’s heart.

 

“Also, Steve has been staying here for the past few months, so I pray that you be civil towards him.” Loki said, cuttingly.

 

Odin’s face drew into a scowl immediately, before dissolving into something more neutral.

 

“Well, this should be fun.” Natasha proclaimed, dragging Bucky out of the kitchen and up the stairs to leave the adults to sort out their problems.

 

 

* * *

 

 

To say the atmosphere was tense at dinner that night would be an understatement.

 

Odin sat ramrod straight at the table, and stayed silent as Steve and Thor shared their tales of how their days went. James and Natasha were mostly communicating through various glances and inside jokes, and Frigga would not stop fawning over Loki’s newly short hair.

 

“But the long hair suited you, you looked softer.” Frigga said, a hand carding through Loki’s now chin-length locks. “But I’m glad you’re leaving it curly again.”

 

Loki looked down into his potatoes as his brother began to regale his tale about how many lawsuits he had to deal with today, while Steve was being hush-hush about exactly what he did at Stark Industries.

 

At the mention of the Fortune 500 company, Odin looked very intrigued.

 

“When did you start working at SI, Rogers?” he asked, genuinely curious now.

 

“About six weeks ago officially. Long story short- I kind of saved Tony Stark’s life and now I’m working for the logistics and security division at the Manhattan main branch.” Steve replied.

 

They all fell a little silent after that, with a few murmurs spared here and there. All in all, Loki thought that this was one of the best evenings in a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I have a tumblr ! Come talk Stoki with me! Or just say hi at okiedokiestoki.tumblr.com
> 
> And could anyone commenting tell me how to actually put the link to my blog in the notes, that would be much helpful!


	11. Stir Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki decides to leave the house, things do not go well from there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really loving the response to this fic!  
> It's been a hard year for me, and every time I look and see a new comment, I feel ten times happier! Thanks so much guys, I literally love you all! Hope you like this chapter! It's been a long time coming, it was actually the first thing I got down when I thought of this fic, idk why.

      Loki was going stir crazy, all he did was sit in the house and clean, waited for everyone else to come home just so Thor’s insanely spacious house wouldn’t seem so damned empty. Even dumb police procedural shows weren’t helping to distract him.

    Granted, this was much like his usual routine when he was with Svad, minus the physical abuse and emotional scarring. That still did not make him any less bored.

“I need to get out of this house, or so help me, I’ll probably burn it down.” He muttered to himself, pacing.

He went to the kitchen. It was almost bare, the only thing in the cupboards was a large can of beans, there were turnips in the fridge.

He sighed. Then, he had an idea.

“I’m sure they’ll need food when they all get home, and Thor’s bring the twins with him, I’ll have to make something extra special for my boys.” He said, grabbing the keys to Thor’s Sedan, before heading to the Supermarket.

 

* * *

   All was going well at the supermarket. Thank goodness Thor left an emergency credit card laying around or they’d all starve or have the confusing task of ordering takeout from different restaurants for each of them. Loki checked the phone Thor gave him to see if anyone had left a message. He quickly sent a quick one off to Steve, James and Natasha, since they might be back before him and he didn’t want them to panic.

 

“You look well.” A familiar voice said from behind him.

Loki turned around to see Svad standing there, shopping cart in his hand, though it was empty.

 

“I thought you put out a restraining order against me.” Loki said, seething. “What are you even doing on this side of town?”

“I miss you, sweetheart, don’t be like that.” Svad replied, putting a hand on his shoulder and turning him around.

“I’m sorry about this whole mess, I got a bit carried away. Why don’t you come home and I forget about all this, huh?”

 

Loki clenched his jaw as tight as he could, pulling Svad’s hand away from his shoulder.

“Come on, Loki! A public trial would ruin me.” Svad said again, almost pleading.

 

“You are _never_ to fucking touch me again.” Loki stated, walking off.

 

Svad grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, completely caught off guard when Loki punched in square in the nose. The force of the blow sent him reeling back, causing onlookers to view in shock, some gasping.

 

“You hurt me, and tried to hurt my son, and I will never forgive you for either of those things.” Loki said, face blank, as he sat across from Svad.

 

“I already signed your damned divorce papers, and I want absolutely nothing from you but the right to see my children.”

 

“Well, look who’s got his groove back.” Svad grinned, maliciously, blood on his teeth.

 

“I hope you burn in hell, Svadilfari.” Loki said as he turned around and walked away briskly, calling Thor as soon as he got to his car.

 

* * *

 

  He was visibly shaking in panic, unable to even open the car door as he couldn’t even get a proper hold of his key.

 

“My nose is fucking bleeding, Loki.” Svad growled as he walked closer to him.

 

Loki gasped in shock, he hadn’t expected the Alpha to follow him out the door. He fumbled further with the keys until they fell to the ground, and under the car. He almost started sobbing as he felt Svad approach him, causing another scene. Svad shoved him hard against the car door, seething in anger. It hurt so much, Loki sobbed at the pain of the blow to his back. Svad stepped back to view his handiwork with a dark smirk on his face.

 

“Hey! How about you back the fuck off!” a man said, from the car adjacent to his.

He had a small child strapped to the seat of his car, and was visibly pregnant. Loki could smell no fear on him , but still silently begged him to go away.

Svad scoffed at the approaching omega, still advancing on Loki. He could feel his walls closing in, his breath quickened as he stood there, frozen.

 

“I think my husband just said you should back off.” A small, unassuming man said, presumably the other’s Alpha.

 

He wore glasses and had curly, barely greying hair, obviously a few years older than the younger omega who was still stepping closer.

 

“My omega and I just had a bit of a disagreement.” Svad attempted, plastering a smile on his face. “Isn’t that right, dearest?”

 

Loki didn’t answer, the look of pure terror still etched on his face as he sank to the ground in a panic. Svad yelled a few curses and slammed his palm on the hood of Loki’s car.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think this guy gets it. Walk away or we call the police.” The pregnant omega said. His Alpha stepped closer to him, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

 

“And I said back the fuck off! Tell your bitch to shut up or I’ll make him!” Svad yelled, angrily, approaching the omega, growling threateningly.

The smaller, unassuming Alpha stepped forward and pulled Svad into a restraining hold before pushing him back, growling out another warning and standing in font of Loki until Svad conceded and walked away briskly. The omega then ran to Loki’s aid.

“It’s okay, he’s gone now.” He said, taking his time to stoop beside Loki despite his belly.

 

Loki tried to level his breathing, but to no avail, his mind drifted to James’ asthma attacks when he was younger. He assumed this was how his son felt trying to push air into reluctant lungs. The tightness in his chest would not leave although he tried to will it away, he felt as if he was breathing through a narrow straw.

 

“Can you tell me your name?” the dark skinned omega asked.

“Loki.” He finally managed to say.

“Good, I’m Sam, that handsome hunk of man meat over there is Bruce. Don’t mind the violent outburst, he’s a total teddy bear.” He said again.

“Now, Loki, is there anyone I can call to come get you, a partner, friend, family member?”

“Steve.” Loki breathed out, air catching in his lungs as he tried to force himself to calm down.

Loki immediately handed Sam his phone, and Sam pressed it to his ear as he called Steve.

“Is Steve your friend? Family?” Sam asked.

“Alpha.” Loki rasped.

 

Sam nodded, and spoke into the phone, Loki could barely hear what he was saying. Bruce stayed back, heading back to their car and picking up their other child – a toddler – from the carseat he was fastened in.

 

“You have a beautiful family.” Loki whispered after calming a bit, a small smile on his face.

Sam smiled, looking over at his husband and child. Loki remembered when he used to have the same look on his face.

“How about you? Any little ankle biters of your own?” Sam asked, a hand over his stomach.

Loki desperately wanted to touch it too, even though he didn’t know why.

“Not so little anymore. Oldest is sixteen, almost a woman, youngest are twins, six years old and they’re already so mature. We have a middle son, an omega. He’s the best person I’ve ever known, already so sure himself and what he’s about.”

Sam chuckled. “Sounds like you and Steve did pretty well. Been busy.” He said, voice soothing.

Loki simply nodded, giving into the fantasy that Steve was still his Alpha, that the abuse from Svadilfari never happened.

 

“Well, we did start a bit early, I was my daughter’s current age when I had her. I was a scared teenager back then, as you can see not much has changed.” Loki quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Sam just kept on with his soothing smile, letting him talk for a while. Loki suspected that he dealt with stuff like this on a daily basis.

 

“Lemme guess, though… psychologist?” he asked, standing up and offering Sam a hand.

 

“Close Enough. Social Worker.” The other omega replied, “Did Psych in school for a whole year, though. Then I did a tour in the army and used the money I saved to go back to school. That’s where I met Bruce. He’s a professor – wasn’t mine, though. We hit it off right away and five years later, here we are.”

* * *

 

When Steve showed up, Loki was sitting with some people on a bench and holding a baby. The older man walked up to Steve, a placid smile on his face.

“You must be Loki’s Alpha.” He stated, “I’m Bruce. My husband was the one that called you.”

Steve shook off the thought that came into his head when he heard the words ' _Loki’s Alpha_ ’. It was best not to get into that right now.

“What happened?” he asked.

 

“There was someone in the grocery store following him, saying he was his mate. The guy got rough and Loki freaked out – with good reason.” Bruce replied.

 

Steve nodded, a grave look on his face. He would love nothing more than to throttle Svad at the moment for even coming near Loki. He expressed his thanks to Bruce and walked over to where Loki was seated. Loki smiled slightly as he saw Steve approach, then remembered what he told Sam during his state of panic.

 

“Was it Svad?” Steve asked.

Loki nodded, bouncing the child in his lap. Steve’s fists clenched at the answer.

“He’s gone for now, though. I already called Thor and told him about it.” Loki replied.

Loki turned to the Omega beside him and handed over the child.

 

“Thanks, Sam, for everything." He said, small smile on this face.

 

The omega, Sam, gave a salute, and laughed as the child grabbed on to his hand in fascination.

 

“You have my number, Lokes, don’t be a stranger, okay? Us omegas gotta stick together!” he said, before turning around and heading back to his car.

 

Steve watched as the expression on Loki’s face changed from a smile to a small frown, felt his heart plummet as Loki slumped.

 

“What is it? Are you okay?” he asked, quickly, leaning into Loki in concern.

 

“I came here to get groceries, and I didn’t get any.” Loki laughed, bitterly. “Just like Svad to ruin my day.”

Steve held onto his hand.

 

“We’ll order in, it’s fine.” He said, “Or we’ll just go out to eat. Your kids are coming over, we can make a big deal out of it.”

 

Loki looked over at him, watching Steve’s face and leaning back into his embrace. He took a deep breath in nodded.

 

“Thanks for coming.” He said, and Steve looked at him, puzzled.

 

“I’ll always be there for you, Loki.” Steve replied, gripping him tighter. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Svad reared his ugly head, but Loki had backup. I just wanted omega!Sam to be here, okay?
> 
> Also, drop me a message (or follow) on tumblr if you feel like it. I'm always open to talk some Stoki.   
> [Tumblr Me!](http://okiedokiestoki.tumblr.com)


	12. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins come home, but Loki can't sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm still working on this! It's my first multichapter fic and I do want to get it done, but life just keeps getting in the way. I'll try to update more often, but no promises!  
> Also this chapter is short and I'm not sure if I even like it, but it's been puttering on my computer for a month, and this is as far as I could get.

Seeing his boys again was like breathing for the first time. He took them both into his arms, crying tears of joy as they both latched on to him. Thor looked on, smiling at his brother’s happiness.

“We missed you, mama!” Sep said, nuzzling into Loki’s shoulder and inhaling his scent.

“Miss Claire was nice, but we’d rather be here with you anyway.” Fen gave out, snuggling further into Loki’s neck.

All he could do was hold on to them tightly before they all went inside and had dinner. Natasha and James smiled brightly at the sight of their brothers, and James even shed a few tears when they ran to hug him. They talked animatedly through their meal of takeout Chinese, Sep and Fen regaling them with tales of their foster parents and just how nice the Murdocks were to them. Loki smiled contented in the knowledge that his sons were at least being well taken care of. He made a mental note to thank the couple when he could.

They both seemed to like Steve well enough, with Fenrir being more fascinated in the fact that he was in the army and Sleipnir being a little distant until Steve took out his sketchbook and showed them. Natasha had invited Clint over for dinner also, and Steve began to vet the boy on his intentions with his daughter, and giving speeches about safe sex and responsibilities. Clint turned red at the words, but Natasha promised her dad that they hadn’t even gotten that far into their relationship yet, and that he should stop trying to scare Clint away.

When Clint started talking about taking Judo classes and archery, Steve warmed up to him immensely.

* * *

 

 

The twins both slept in Loki’s room that night, Fenrir on his right and Sleipnir on his left. While both of his sons were fast asleep, Loki could not manage to keep his eyes closed long enough to dose off. So, he sat up in the bed, just watching the both of them, remembering when they were much younger.

Just then there was a knock at his door, he opened it to see Steve standing there, hair ruffled and shirtless. “How are they?” the Alpha asked, small smile on his face.

Loki mimicked his smile, genuinely pleased at the concern Steve had for the boys.

“They’re fine.” He replied, “Both fell asleep rather easily… their foster parents appear to be of the nice variety.”

“That’s good to hear.” Steve answered, leaning on the door frame. “How are you holding up? After today?”

 

Loki looked down at his feet.

He took an exasperated breath and shook his head.

“Not so good.” He answered, honestly, “I can’t even go to sleep. It’s like he’s stuck in my head. I’m afraid if I close my eyes he’ll take them from me.”

Steve rested a hand on his shoulder, rubbing comfortingly.

“It’s okay. We’ll never let him do that. Thor’s confident that can get this whole thing settled in your favor, given that Svad seems hell bent on harassing you.”

Loki looked at him, a smile on his face, then he frowned as he thought of what extremes Svad go to just to spite him.

“I hope it all works out well enough so that my children don’t get hurt in the process. He’s trying to paint me as an unfit parent, and if he wins I’m not sure what will happen to the boys. Svad has never been cruel to them but he hasn’t been the most attentive parent, either.” Loki said, “And he’s extremely spiteful.”

"Like I said, we'll never let that happen." Steve replied, holding on to Loki's hand.

 

Loki looked down at their joined hands and took a step towards him, feeling like a teenager again.

 

"You need your rest, Loki. You can't let Svad take that away from you." Steve whispered, carding his free hand through Loki's hair.

Loki leaned into the touch, exhaling a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He looked up into Steve's eyes, holding his gaze.

"I know, " he replied, "It's just... I'm afraid, and I feel helpless."

Steve pulled him into a hug, and Loki went without complaint. He was so tired, but still, he knew he wouldn't fall asleep. 

"Come on," Steve said, leading him away from the bedroom, and into his own.

Loki went down on the bed easily, pulling Steve down with him.

“You need to sleep.” Steve said, stroking his hair like he used to.

They lay there, curled together, and it was just like old times. Loki felt safe surrounded by Steve’s calm scent, and he buried his face in the Alpha’s shoulder and took a deep breath. Steve’s grip on him tightened, as if he would never let go.

“I’ll always be there for you, Loki. All you have to do is ask, I’ll always be here.”

 

“I know, Steve.” Loki replied, with a small smile,

“I know.”


	13. Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Loki make breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't updated in two months! But rest assured, anyone still reading, I am continuing this. Me and this fic til the end of the line...

Steve woke to hairs tickling his nose and a weight pressed to his chest. He slept peacefully that night, in fact they both did, with Loki’s head pillowed on Steve’s chest and Steve pressing kisses to his hair. He wanted to feel bad about it, tried to bring the fact that they had been divorced for a little over eight years and that Loki married someone else into play, but Loki was warm and safe and that was all that mattered to him.

Loki held tighter to him when he tried to get up, and it was then that Steve noticed the scars that littered his back. They were small circles, almost like… Cigarette burns. It made Steve furious, his anger boiled up in a growl which caused Loki to cling even tighter to him with a small, slurred whine.

“Loki, I’ve got to get ready for work.” He said, trying to pry the arms away.

Loki’s eyes snapped open then, and he sat up, groggily, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. It was the most adorable thing Steve had seen in a while and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” He said.

“It’s Saturday, do you really have to be up so early?” Loki replied, laying back down on his stomach.

Steve’s eyes linger on what Loki knows are the scars from cigarette burns that run up the line of his back. Svad was especially angry that day, Loki told him. It was the beginning of Loki’s last heat three years ago, and he was desperate, but Svad didn’t want to help him through. He was smoking in his study and Loki walked in, begging Svad to help…then Svad locked him in the basement until his heat was finished, no food or water for three days, and forbade him, and the children, from going to the hospital for help. That had been one of the most painful experiences in his entire adult life. He sat there, in tears, sobbing for most of the time, shivering with his skin feeling too tight and his heart pounding so fast he swore he’d die.

When Natasha had finally managed to sneak in and unlock the door, she had to drag him to her bedroom and hand feed him until he was fit enough to do it for himself. She was _thirteen_. She was crying while she helped him, the tears freely falling down her face while he was too weak to even sit up on his own. She’d helped him to the bathtub, gave him the first bath he’d had in literally days, sniffling the whole time. After that she got colder towards her stepfather, and more distant towards him.

“After that, she bought me suppressants.” Loki said, sniffling into his pillow. “And I took them religiously to save myself the embarrassment.”

Steve sat upright in the bed and pulled Loki closer to him, they curled together like they used to. It was nice. He reminisced on the heats they had shared, in their tiny apartment with the faulty faucets. Steve didn’t leave him for a moment, sending the kids off to his parents’ for the duration. He held him, took care of him, made him feel like they were the only two people in the world.

“You know what, I don’t actually have to go in today.” He said, with a smile. “Oh, you don’t?” asked Loki. “Two months on the job and you just take random days off? I’m shocked!”

Steve laughed at that, getting up off the bed and dragging Loki with him.

“Breakfast. Come on, We’ve got children to feed.” He said, heading to the door. 

* * *

 

 

Thor woke up to the scent of bacon and coffee, and the sound of music and loud laughter downstairs. He looked over at his phone, thankful it was Saturday as he’d slept until eight and spend the entirety of Friday night going over Loki’s case. When he got downstairs he saw Loki and Steve in the kitchen, making breakfast with the children surrounding them. His brother’s open smile made him smile too, as he marched into the kitchen.

“Niblings!” he shouted, giving an exaggerated grunt when the twins pounced on him.

“Boys, there's plenty of time to gang up on your uncle later, it’s time for eating.” Loki said, laughing.

Natasha and James looked like they just rolled out of bed, but happy. He sat beside James and gave him a quick hug before piling his plate full of bacon and digging in. He talked with Natasha about what she wanted to do after high school, and Loki looked pleased when she said she wanted to be a psychologist.

“I wanna be a vet!” said James, smiling broadly, “Or maybe a zoologist or something.”

“I wanna be a police officer!” Sleipnir said, practically bouncing, to with Fenrir added, “I wanna be a lawyer like you, Uncle Thor.”

And Thor beamed at that, ruffling the boy’s hair. He looked over at Steve and Loki both standing at the stove and having a private conversation, and felt his heart warm at the sight of his brother being openly affectionate again. Then, he dug into his food.The pancakes were only slightly burnt this time.

 

"I sense improvement, Steven!" he joked, and Steve threw a dishtowel at him, earning a laugh from everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another filler, because I'm scared of messy divorced and Svad in general. Next update sooner than this one was, believe me, and it will contain angst and drama and possibly a violent outburst from our fave Alpha. As usual comment, leave kudos, bookmark, visit my [Tumblr](http://okiedokiestoki.tumblr.com) !  
> Much love,  
> Sara


	14. Chapter 14

Hey readers. It's been a while (a year) since I've updated this, and almost a year since I've written anything at all. I've been reeling for a couple months now, life has been a shitshow. I came out to my parents and they sent me away! I had heart surgery! I dropped out of college.

No worries though, I'm recovering nicely and staying with my uncle who is totes OK with my queer ass. I'll be updating as soon as I feel a little less like a pile of doodoo. I'm still very much in love with stoki and very much in love with this fic. 

Until next time, 

Sara <3


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